Machine for applying corner irons



Aug. 27, 1929- w. BERSSENBRUGGE MACHINE FOR APPLYING COiiNER IRONS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1928 %%w fiarma/fgya 27, 1929- w. BERSSENBRUGGE 1,726,209

MACHINE FOR APPLYING CORNER IRONS Filed March 22, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 g mw ' Aug. 27, 1329' w. BERSSENBRUGGE MACHINE FOR APPLYING CORNER IRONS Filed March 22, 1928 'Sheets-sheet 3 way g 27, 1929' BERSSENBRUGGE 1,726,209

MACHINE FOR APPLYING CORNER IRONS Filed. March 22, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I away;

Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UF-N-ITED STATES Wl[LLI-A1V[ BERSSENBRUGGE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

.MACHINE FOR.APPLYING CORNER IRONS.

Application filed March 22 This invention relates to a machine for applying corner irons.

In certain articles .of furniture, .for example, card tables, it is the usual practice to provide some form of .corner iron. These irons have been attached in various ways in order to protect the corners,but it has been found that the usual modes of attaching them are relatively slow, and'this invention isdesigned to provide a novel form of machine which is adapted to quickly and securely attach the .corner iron, in a novel manner.

Furtherlobjects are to provide. a machine which is so constructed that a single movement of the operator draws thetable or other articleinto positionand. thereafter clinches and locks thecorner iron-to the corner of the table.

Furtherobjects are to providea machine which is so constructed that it.has the minimum number.0f.parts,.and,in which the utmost simplicity and ruggedness.are-obtained. embodiment of the invention is shown in:the,accompanyingdrawings in which: :7

Figure :1 ;is :a plan viewlof the machine showingthe table inplace with parts broken Figure/.2 is.-a.:sectional view on [the line 2-2 of Figure 1; i

Figure 3 is .a. sectional View v on -..the lme Figure lwisia sectional view on the line ofiFigure :2 .c

Figure 5 is a viewoffthe dies-looking from theinner side of the machine a part ofthefigure beings in section;

Figurefiisa plan view ofthe end of the ;table with the dies-in their operative po- Figure 10 is a=view ,fromzthe underside of one of the corners of: the. table;

Figure 11 is a side elevation of. the corner 7 iron.

Referring tothe drawings, it will be seen that the machine, comprises .a pair of guides a1 whichare supported .by vertical uprights 2 and carry at their ends transverse mem- 1928. Serial No. 263,808.

here 3. The vertical uprights also carry at their lower ends'longitudinal and trans verse members 4 and 5. All of these" parts are preferably formed of channel shapeand thus provide the maximum strength forrthe minimum weight.

The guides 1 carry a table supportingslid 6 (see Figure 4) whichvis shouldered and rides upon the guides 1. Clips 7 are'bolted to the slide 6 to retain it against moving'upwardly from the guides 1. The .guide 6 carries a turn table or rotary disc 8 which, in turn, is provided with a plurality of.radiatingarms 9. These arms are provided with upstanding ears or fingers 10 which engage opposite sides .of the table adjacent the" corners, as shown most clearly inLFigures .1

and 2. The fingers 10 are also space'd'from .the extreme corners .of the table to allow room for the corner irons hereinafter described.

As shown in Figure 2, the slide 6Lis provided with an apertured lug 7 through which a rod 11 .slidably passes. .This rodisprovided with an adjusting nut 12 at its outer end and a relatively stiff spring .131is, interposed betweenthe nut and the lug 7 Relatively lighter springs .14 are connected to the slide 6 and to the rear of the frame of the machine, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,.

so that when the pressure ofthe spring 13 is released, the guide 6 moves towards the rear ofthe machine. The forward end of the rod 11 is connected to a lever 15 carried by a rock shaft 16. The rock shaft 16 :is further provided with a lever 17 @connected by means of a rod 18 with a footpedal 19 provided with a foot receiving portion .20 preferably located outside the outline of the frameof the machine, as shown in Figure 1. Thus, when the operator placesv his foot upon'the treddle or foot lever 19, ,thetable 'isrmoved forwardly, that is to say,-to the upon operation of the lever, the rod 25 moves upwardly and thus forces the movable die towards the stationary die.

It is to be noted that the rod 25 is threaded into the movable die at to secure the requisite adjustment, and a lock nut 27 (see Figure 2) is employed to lock the rod 25 to the movable die 24.

It is to be noted particularly from Figures 6 to 9, that the stationary die 22 and the movable die 2% are each provided with lips indicated respectively by the reference characters 28 and 29. These lips are arranged in pairs for each die and the parts of each pair are at right angles, as shown particularly in Figure 6. The movabledie 24- is provided with a cylindrical hollow portion 30 (see Figure 5) within which a headed plunger 31 is slidably positioned. This plunger is urged upwardly by means of the spring 32, the lower end of the spring bearing against a plug 33 screwed into the lower end of the cylindrical member. The bottom head of .the plunger 31 limits its upward motion.

Although this invention is applicable to a large variety of uses, it is eminently suited to the placing of corner irons upon the corners of card tables or similar devices. These card tables are regularly provided with light wood frame members 34 which have a groove 35 in their upper edges. These frame members receive the cardboard top 36 and such cardboard top is usually covered by means of a fabric or other sheath 37 whose edges are tucked into the slot 35.

The corner irons which this machine applies are formed of a vertical channel section 38 (see Figure 11) provided with arms 39 projecting at right angles to each other. The lower ends of the corner irons are provided with tongues 10.

The corner irons are formed with the upper arms or lips 39 curved or channel-shape. These upper arms are hooked over the corners of the table.

In using the machine, a table is placed, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. A corner iron 1s positioned at the corner of the table with the upper channel members 39 fitting into the groove 35. Thereafter, the operator depresses the foot pedal or lever 19. This first forcesthe table forwardly, as the pressure of the spring 13 overcomes the lighter springs 14 (see Figure 2). This motion is very small and occurs before the movable die 24 has moved into proximity to the table. Continued motion of the lever 19 forces the movable die 24 upwardly and as it moves upwardly the spring pressed plunger 31 shoves the table up against the overhanging lip or 28 of the stationary die 22, as shown 1n Figure 7. It is to be noted at this polnt that the lip 28 of the movable die is positioned above the normal plane of the table when carried by the machine. As the operator continues the downwardly stroke of the foot pedal, the movable die continues upwardly until it arrives at the position shown in Figure 7. In this position, it will be seen that the movable die has guided the fingers or cleats 4L0 outwardly and upwardly around the bottom or outer corner of the frame member 34, and that the jaws 29 of the movable die have clinched these cleats or fingers, as shown in Figure 7.

Further, it will be noted, as is apparent from Figures 7 and 10, that the fingers are aided in their motion into the wood of the frame by the cutting action of the jaws 29 which actually out a slight slit into the underside of the wood of the frames.

It will be seen that the cleats are very tightly forced into place and that the corner irons are tightly bound to the table without the use of any auxiliary fasteners whatsoever. After one corner has been finished, the operator rotates the table a quarter turn and goes through the same process.

In actual tests with the machine, it has been found that a very high speed may be maintained throughout a long period without fatigue on the part of the operator and with scarcely any thought on his part.

It will be seen that a very simple type of corner iron applying machine and a simple process of applying the corner irons has been provided by this invention.

It is to be distinctly understood that while the invention has been described as applicable to card tables particularly it is not to be so limited, as this mode of describing the invention was chosen to illustrate one of the articles of furniture which the machine will successfully handle.

It is to be distinctly understood that where the term table appears in either the specification or claims, it is to be given a broad meaning to cover any article of furniture or similar construction.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention may be variously embodied and as the scope of such invention istobe determined as claimed.

I claim:

1. A machine for applying corner irons to the corners of tables comprising a frame, a carriage for the table, a pair of dies having jaws projecting above and below the plane of the upper and lower edges of the table, means for moving the table to present a corner thereof between the dies, and means for moving the dies towards each other, the lower of said dies having its jaws curved to curve and clinch the lower portion of the corner iron into the table.

2. A machine for applying corner irons to the corners of tables comprising a frame for carrying the table, a pair of normally spaced dies having jaws for overhanging and underhanging the upper and lower faces of the corner of the table, and means for moving the table towards the jaws and thereafter for causing the jaws to move towards each other to thereby clinch the corner iron in place by bending the lower portion thereof into binding engagement with the lower face of the table.

3. A machine for applying corner irons to the corners of tables, such cornerirons consisting of an upper overhanging lip and lower tongues, said machine comprising means for holding the table, a pair of dies positioned above and below the corner of the table, means for causing relative motion between the dies, the lower of said dies having curved jaws underhanging the lower edge of the table and bending and forcing the said tongues into the table, and means connected with said first mentioned means for first moving the table into position to be engaged by said dies. 7

4. A machine for applying corner irons having a channelled upper edge and a plurality of downwardly projecting portions, said machine comprising means for holding an article to which the irons are to be applied, means for moving said article into the operative zone of said dies, means for causing the dies to approach each other, the lower of said dies having jaws curved and shaped to clinch the said tongues into the lower portion of the article of furniture, both of said means being operated by a single operative member.

5. A machine for applying corner irons to card tables, said machine comprising a body portion, a slide carried by said body portion and having a revoluble support for a table, a pair of dies carried by said body portion, means for moving said table towards said dies, and means for causing said dies to approach each other to clinch the corner irons upon the corner of the table.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

WILLIAM BERSSENBRITGGE. 

